Infectious Disease typically not treated if use less than 4000 IU vitamin D daily– review

Impact of Vitamin D on Infectious Disease: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials.

Am J Med Sci. 2014 Oct 20. [Epub ahead of print]

Kearns MD1, Alvarez JA, Seidel N, Tangpricha V.j

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BACKGROUND::

Observational studies have linked vitamin D status and infectious disease. This association is supported by the presence of the vitamin D receptor and CYP27B1 in immune cells. This review aims to consolidate data from clinical trials that used vitamin D for the treatment or prevention of infectious disease.

METHODS::

The authors searched the term "(vitamin D OR ergocalciferol OR cholecalciferol OR vitamin D2 OR vitamin D3 OR calcitriol) AND (infection OR tuberculosis OR sepsis OR pneumonia)" with limits preset to manuscripts published in English and with human subjects. They identified controlled trials that measured infectious outcomes (eg, incidence and severity of disease, time to disease resolution or recurrence, measures of clinical improvement, mortality). Studies that used analog, topical or micronutrient formulations of vitamin D, assessed only vitamin D status or lacked a comparison group were excluded. The references from eligible manuscripts and from 2 recent reviews were scanned for additional manuscripts.

RESULTS::

One thousand two hundred eighty-four manuscripts were identified with our search terms, with 60 papers still eligible after review of the title and abstract. Full review of these papers, their references and 2 related reviews yielded 38 manuscripts.

CONCLUSIONS::

Although some prospective studies show positive results regarding vitamin D on infectious disease, several robust studies are negative. Factors such as high variability between studies, the difference in individual responsiveness to vitamin D and study designs that do not primarily investigate infectious outcomes may mask the effects of vitamin D on infections.

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview Influenza and vitamin D

• Small vitamin D doses provide small benefits for acute respiratory infections – Meta-analysis March 2021

• Innate and adaptive immune systems probably helped by vitamin D – Oct 2014

• The role of vitamin D in prevention and treatment of infection – Aug 2013

• Acute respiratory infection treated by vitamin D in 6 of 12 clinical trials – review Nov 2012

• Vitamin D reduces respiratory tract infections by 40 percent– meta-analysis Dec 2012

• Vitamin D and Respiratory Tract Infections – meta-analysis with charts June 2013

• Proof that Vitamin D Works has the following

  • Viral infection reduced 90 percent with 2000 IU of vitamin D – Dec 2010

  • Respiratory infections reduced by 63 percent with 4000 IU vitamin D daily - RCT Dec 2012

    • this is the one reviewed by the study on this page

• Breathing category listing includes many custom searches asthma, pneunomia, RTI, TB, etc.